1. Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned with an improvement in a liftable assembly. Most particularly the invention is concerned with an improvement in such an assembly wherein a cap is provided which fits over a lock rod which is normally used to fasten a fork to a carriage of a lift truck or the like. The cap serves to protect the lock rod and associated parts from dirt and rust whereby easy operation thereof for long periods of time is assured.
2. Prior Art
Lift trucks and similar load handling devices are well known to the prior art and are generally useful for moving relatively heavy pieces of equipment, materials and the like from one place to another and/or for lifting such equipment, materials and the like to a desired height. Generally, such load handling devices comprise a carriage, said carriage being rideable upwardly within masts which are attached thereto. When the devices are lift trucks they also comprise a powered truck attached to the carriage. Extending from the carriage are generally one or more forks or the like. The forks are generally L-shaped members having a first arm extending forwardly from the carriage and a second arm perpendicular to the first arm extending upwardly parallel to the carriage and further generally having a hook member generally integral therewith and adapted to fit over the upper end of the carriage.
Customarily, same carriages have been provided with a plurality of notches in the upper edge thereof whereby an individual fork can be attached into any one of these notches thus providing a desired positioning of the individual fork or a desired relative positioning of two or more forks. The forks are generally fastened to the notches by means of a lock rod which slidably fits within a guide sleeve and a bore, said bore generally passing through the hook member which fits over the carriage. Such prior art lock rods are generally fastened in place via spring biasing means which normally bias the lock rods so that their lower ends are propelled into the notches atop the carriage. At the upper end of the lock rods there are normally provided handles whereby one can pull upwardly upon the handles and thus upon the lock rods to remove the lock rods from the notches and can then slide the forks to another desired position and thereafter allow the lock rods to be propelled by the spring means into another notch.
A serious problem with prior art carriage-fork assemblies of the nature described above has been that dirt and moisture can easily enter the guide sleeve about the lock rod thereby causing jamming thereof, cutting down on repair-free use thereof and thereby generally interfering with the usefulness of the lift truck or like devices. The present invention is concerned with an improvement which prevents the intrusion of dirt and moisture between the lock rod and the inner surface of the guide sleeve whereby repair and/or replacement of forks, lock rods and the like is greatly reduced.